The African National Congress has canceled a planned three-day trip to Israel by an ANC delegation next week, aimed to encourage South Africans here to vote in the coming elections.

The two public events arranged by the South Africa- Israel Forum in Ra’anana and Modi’in next week have therefore been canceled as well. The trip, reported by The Jerusalem Post on Thursday, was apparently put off because there was not enough time to plan for the registration of potential voters before the expected announcement in early February of the election date by President Jacob Zuma.

Reliable sources told the Post that perceived strained relations between the ANC and Israel were not the cause of the cancellation. For those South Africans in Israel who wish to register to vote in the elections, more information can be found at http://www.telfed.org.il/sa_elections.